Packaging Today Show

In this festive episode of Packaging Today, Evelio Mattos, Cory Connors, and Adam Peek break down the latest holiday packaging trends and reveal which seasonal designs actually boost sales—and which are just expensive distractions.We cover:What design elements are trending this holiday season (and why)How brands are using limited-edition packaging to drive urgency and shelf appealThe power of sensory elements: sparkle, texture, scent, and soundReal-world case studies of packaging that sold out during the holidaysTips for procurement teams and designers working on next year’s seasonal launch🎁 Whether you're a packaging buyer, brand manager, or designer, this episode delivers the insights you need to turn festive packaging into real revenue.🔔 Subscribe and leave a comment with your favorite (or worst) holiday package of the year.

How do you design packaging that is the most sustainable for your brand?Let's ask the questions that get you to the results that matter.What does Sustainability mean to you?

Ever wonder who designs the cereal box sitting on a sitcom kitchen counter—or how a 1980s soda can ends up looking perfectly era-correct in a Netflix period drama?In this episode of Packaging Today, we dive into the fascinating world of movie packaging design:How brands use product placement to steal scenesWhy fake brands (hello, Los Pollos Hermanos) sometimes hit harder than real onesWhat it takes to recreate authentic vintage packaging from decades pastAnd the surprising creative freedom (and legal minefields) that come with designing packaging for film and TVWe’ll talk about how packaging helps set tone, build character, and sell nostalgia—and whether these on-screen packages need to follow the same design rules as their retail counterparts.🎥 Whether you’re a packaging designer, film buff, or just a fan of the little details that make movies magic, this one’s for you.

Today on Packaging Today, we’re peeling back the headlines and digging into what's really happening in the packaging world:🧾 Packaging Tax Pain in the UK: UK food firms say the new packaging tax—part of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme—is pushing up prices. For example, one brand reported £153,000 in extra costs this year just from this levy. We’ll talk: which packaging formats are hardest hit? Will brands shift to less‑sustainable materials just to avoid the fees?📉 Waste Declining, But Can We Trust It?: According to the Eurostat data, plastic packaging waste in the EU fell by 1.0 kg per person in 2023 (to 35.3 kg each). European Commission But we’ll ask: is this real progress—or clever accounting? What’s the catch behind “less waste per person”?🏆 Award‑Winning Packaging: Innovation or Same Old?: We’ll look at a recent gold‑winning design in the packaging awards world and ask the hard question: are we really innovating—or just dressing up the same ideas in shine and polish?Join us as we break down:Why packaging taxes are already changing brand material strategyHow “waste reductions” may hide new problemsWhether “award‑winning design” still moves us forward—or keeps us spinningIf you’re in packaging design, sourcing, supply‑chain or brand strategy, this episode is your mid‑week wake‑up.Don’t forget to subscribe, share the show, and drop your thoughts in the comments. Let’s keep the packaging conversation real.It's also Wednesday so it's time for CAN WE SOLVE IT! brought to you by Smartsolve.com soluble packaging solutions to actually reduce packaging waste.

In this episode, Evelio Mattos, Adam Peek, and Cory Connors hit the mic fresh from the floors of Pack Expo Las Vegas and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition event. We’re diving into:🔍 What we saw, who we met, and which booths actually blew our minds.🌍 The new sustainability trends that are more than just buzzwords (yes, there were some real standouts).🥇 The emerging materials, packaging formats, and innovations redefining what’s possible in retail packaging.💬 Honest conversations from the show floor—what packaging professionals are really excited about… and what’s missing.🎯 How these events are influencing the future of packaging design, sourcing, and storytelling.From walking the show floor to walking the sustainability talk, we’re unpacking everything that matters—and roasting a few trends that maybe don’t.Bring your biggest packaging questions to *Can We Solve It?Stump us and win a limited-edition shirt, courtesy of https://smartsolve.comWatch live on LinkedIn + YouTube every Monday & Wednesday @ 7:30am PST👉 Subscribe to the show & be part of the future of packaging.Want packaging that dissolves? check out www.Smartsolve.comNeed to manage your packaging specs for EPR regulation? go to www.Specright.comWork with guys:Evelio - https://www.IDPdirect.comCory - https://www.atlanticpkg.comAdam - http://www.TheLabelKing.com

It’s Wednesday — which means Can We Solve It is back! Tonight, Evelio, Adam, and Cory tackle your toughest packaging riddles. Send us the questions — if we can’t crack them live, you win a T‑shirt (thanks, SmartSolve).But first — we dig into the week’s most provocative headlines:🏷 Aldi’s Private Label Rebrand: Aldi is finally putting its name front and center on nearly all its private-label products. What does this mean for trust, shelf presence, and the future of store brands? Axios+1🍽 Does Packaging Change Flavor?: A new deep dive into how the food packaging itself—not just the food—can shape how we perceive taste.🚭 Plain Packaging for Vapes in the UK: New research shows that standardized, logo‑free vape packaging reduces its appeal to teens while having minimal effect on adult users. University College London+2EurekAlert!+2Whether you’re here for game‑show chaos or serious packaging debates, tonight’s packed with insights, laughs, and maybe a little humility when we get stumped.

One wrong word on a bottle. One missing allergen warning. One incorrect dosage. That’s all it takes for a packaging error to turn into a fatal recall.In today’s episode of Packaging Today, Evelio, Cory, and Adam dive deep into the terrifying world of packaging-related recalls, where bad information, sloppy approvals, or rushed production can literally cost lives.We discuss:🧯 How packaging errors happen (and who’s responsible)⚖️ What the FDA and other global agencies expect from packaging and labels🧪 Why it's not just food and pharma at risk, cosmetics, supplements, and even candles can kill🧠 How small brands can build safer approval workflows without enterprise-level systems🛠️ How to fix a packaging error when it’s already on shelvesWe’re not fear-mongering, we’re giving you the toolkit to protect your brand, your customers, and your team from the costly (and sometimes deadly) fallout of packaging mistakes.The life this episode saves may be your own! ok, probably not saving anyone's life, but we've always wanted to say that.Work with the guys:Reach out to Evelio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eveliomattos/Contact Cory: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-connors/Ask Adam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adampeek/Support those that support our show:Manage your packaging specs with www.specright.comLearn more about water soluble papers from www.Smartsolve.com#packaging

If flexible packaging isn’t recyclable today why do brands insist on calling it sustainable?Today on Packaging Today, K-Pack Demon Hunters Evelio, Cory, and Adam dive into a critical turning point for flexible packaging recycling in the U.S. with the launch of the U.S. Flexible Film Initiative (USFFI) a coalition of CPG giants like General Mills, PepsiCo, Nestlé, and more, aiming to finally make scalable recycling for flexible films a reality.We break down:What USFFI is actually doing and yes, they’re funding MRFs to get flexible packaging recycled. The biggest infrastructure gaps: Only ~2% of U.S. households can recycle flexible film curbside right now. The friction points consumers face: from tangling in sorting machines to multi-layer barriers that defy recycling. Why California is ground zero thanks to its aggressive EPR mandates and SB54 requirements for recycling rates. We’ll challenge the snack pouch assumptions, ask whether these programs are real solutions or just expensive PR and predict whether real recycling for flexible films can ever match consumer convenience.Work with guys:Evelio - https://www.IDPdirect.comCory - https://www.atlanticpkg.comAdam - http://www.labelkingcorp.comWant packaging that dissolves? check out https://www.Smartsolve.comNeed to manage your packaging specs for EPR regulation? go to https://www.Specright.com

Join hosts Evelio Mattos, Cory Connors, and Adam Peek as they break down the latest packaging news and share a step-by-step guide on how startups can design packaging that stands out in today’s market. Learn how to choose the right materials, create cost-effective designs, and build packaging that tells your brand story while meeting sustainability goals. Perfect for new business owners, entrepreneurs, and creators ready to launch with packaging that sells.

Engine Organic Gin's packaging design is gassed up and ready to disrupt your bar cart. Today on Packaging Today, Evelio, Cory, and Adam break down the bold branding move that puts high-end gin in what looks like a motor oil can and why it works.We’ll dive into:Why Engine Gin’s packaging stands out in a saturated spirits shelfThe psychology behind unexpected formatsOther brands taking wild risks with form, function, and storytellingPlus: What lessons can luxury, beauty, and CPG brands steal from this petrol-powered bottle?It’s Pack of the Week, and Engine Gin just might run away with the win.

Today, we reveal the Label King of Utah, the behind-the-scenes powerhouse who's printing labels. But here's the real question:Is a label considered packaging?Evelio and Adam dig deep into the wild world of labels:Why they’re often overlooked in packaging strategyWhen a label is packaging… and when it’s just decorationThe sustainability questions brands should be asking label printersAnd how this Utah-based king of stick-ons built a label empireThis episode peels back the layers (literally) to reveal the sticky truth about what gets counted in EPR reporting, supply chain compliance, and circular design — and what doesn’t.👑 Come for the crown. Stay for the stickers/labels.Labels just got interesting.💬 Drop a comment: Is a label packaging or not? Let’s settle this.

3 packs enter, 1 pack leaves.This isn’t your usual polite packaging panel — this is an all-out brawl. Each host enters the ring with their contender for best packaging of the week. From genius sustainability plays to outrageous luxury flexes, only one design will be crowned victorious.👊 Evelio. Cory. Adam.Each brings one pack.We debate. We defend. We dissect.And at the end — only one survives the chaos to claim the crown.If you love clever design, bold branding, and a little bit of packaging smack talk, you’re in the right place.It’s packaging. But make it war.💥 Watch till the end to see who gets knocked out and who reigns as PACK OF THE WEEK.Want to vote for next week’s winner? Drop your pick in the comments.#PackagingDesign #PackoftheWeek

Today we’re joined by Liz Morris from Anthesis Group, one of the world’s leading sustainability consultancies, to break down Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) what it is, where it’s going, and what your brand needs to do to stay ahead.With deadlines approaching fast in the US, UK, and EU, and states like Colorado requiring producer data now, brands can’t afford to stay in the dark.We cover:What exactly EPR laws are requiringHow they affect packaging material choicesHow fees will be calculatedHow to prepare your supply chain, design teams, and reporting systemsAnd audience questions from brands who are already deep in itWhether you're in packaging, procurement, sustainability, or compliance this is your must-watch EPR crash course.And yes, bring your questions, because we're playing Can We Solve it!